Job search and career tool teams with Louisiana Connect

Curt Eysink, executive director of the Workforce Commission, was the recent guest speaker for a South Central Industrial Association General Membership meeting.

Jane ArnetteDirector of South Louisiana Industrial Association

Curt Eysink, executive director of the Workforce Commission, was the recent guest speaker for a South Central Industrial Association General Membership meeting.He presented the program on "Understanding the Workforce Demand and How to Grow Our Own Workforce."Louisiana is anticipated to experience a 2.2 percent annual workforce growth through 2014 and a 1.7 percent workforce growth through 2020. This growth calculates to 29,800 new jobs per year, 48,000-plus replacement workers needed per year and 35,000 new industrial construction jobs by late 2016.These demands will require the state to look more closely at the current trends and concentrate on improving graduation rates in high school and college, expanding technical and community college capacity and responsiveness, and improving alignment of education and training programs. We also need to concentrate on developing the foundational skills for the under-employed.How can we do all these things? Part of the plan includes new web-based programs that can assist with the job market and connect with the students. Businesses are encouraged to register job openings with the Louisiana Workforce Commission through its website at www.laworks.net. The tool is located under the big blue star on the homepage.Louisiana Star Jobs is an interactive search tool that ranks the best occupations in Louisiana according to salary, the number of openings and the prospects for each career choices, educational background and income requirements. It then takes users directly to job listings to apply and to links to specific institutions in the users' area that offer credentials needed to qualify for those jobs.The stronger the demand and growth, and the higher the pay for a particular job, the more stars it receives. The best occupations get five stars. Occupations that pay well but have few job openings and poor prospects for the future get fewer stars, just as those that may have many openings but pay poorly. Users can narrow their search to jobs within their region by entering a parish ZIP code.This new program was developed by the LA Workforce Investment Council and LSU's Division of Economic Development. Their mission was to create an application that enables and encourages people to find and fill the highest value jobs that match their interest, backgrounds and needs, both statewide and by region.This program should be particularly helpful for students who are reviewing career options for the future. The program will be linked with Louisiana Connect (www.louisianaconnect,) the state's comprehensive college and career planning web portal that can be accessed by all eighth through 12th grade students in Louisiana's public and non-public schools.Louisiana Connect is a web-based portal that helps students manage their education and career options. It is a detailed program that includes a graduation plan, TOPS tracker that includes student progression for requirements, student profiles and career matching, and college searches and matching. It also allows Louisiana business and industry to post profiles for students describing the company's enterprise and available internships, job shadowing or student employment opportunities across the state.Having implemented the Work It! Louisiana program in school systems in several parishes for many years, SCIA encourages businesses to participate in these programs to assist with workforce development. Our region maintains a low unemployment rate while being in grave need of thousands of employees.We have to work together to make the students aware of job opportunities, career paths and job training. We have to work together to bring nobility back to the workforce and integrity back to the students. Every little effort helps!

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